Our bitteliten

I've been thinking about writing and now I'm finally getting to it. I have been trying to figure out the feelings I've been having the last days. It just seems that so much has been going on.
Like Sunday. We had the project weekend in the church. So kids helped with the service and they had had a family choir practice the day before. The family choir sang just amazingly. I mean....I shouldn't be surprised at all by this point anymore, but I do enjoy all kind of singing. I do. And the kids did all kinds of things. Like helped to take up the offering. And Jonathan was so funny. He's this 7-year-old in our church and his dad is this amazing pianist that I've talked about before. He was helping to take up the offering. OK, bear with me, I'm trying to explain this situation. The offering basket was on one side and it was sent to the other side, so he RAN to the other side to collect it. I mean it, he literally RAN. I just loved the picture. Yes, it was funny, but had a very strong message for me. Jonathan was just so EAGER to do what he was asked to. Sometimes we, grown-ups, have done things for a long time and we have grown tired of them. So we do things because we have to, because we are used to doing them. I challenge you to look over the things you've been 'always' doing. Where is your heart while doing these things? Are you doing them with joy? Are you doing them to the Lord? I just think it is sooo important to enjoy what you are doing. Yes, I know, there are things that just have to be done. But I also believe that God can give joy in these things too. Because He is just so rocking awesome!
I have to say over and over again that children just amaze me. Like Gabriel. He is turning three in the beginning of November and he is just the cutest. He is just so funny sometimes. On Monday evening he was trying to chase one of the cats we have and followed the cat everywhere. So the cat hid under the small table we have in the kitchen and Gabriel tried to follow. He got stuck between the kitchen bench and the table leg. It took a minute and we got him out again. So he came to me and dad and mormor (Ingvild's mom, who's here to help us at the moment) and told us with all his sincerity that he went under the table and SUDDENLY there wasn't enough room for his head. We just couldn't stop laughing. And today. Gabriel came from the kindergarten and had to check on the baby, of course. So he came back to us and told that he took the baby with his beautiful sharp claws (at the same time holding his hands like claws:D) and he DIDN'T break or start crying :D What do you say to the kid? We were all laughing like crazy again. I LOVELOVE the sincerity.
And our bitteliten (in translation: tiny one). Yes, that's how I call David. Because he just feels sooo tiny at the moment. He weighs like 3,5 kg and is 48cm. That's like nothing. When I'm holding him, I feel like there's nothing in my arms. But at the same time, there's soooo much in my arms. This tiny little person, who will grow and develop and learn. This tiny boy full of potential. AMAZING. And do you know what's the best part of it? He's here like ALL the time. I have never had that. I've always wished for a younger brother or sister, but as you know, I had the honor of being the youngest one in my family. So I've never had this little baby around me all the time before. So no wonder he's lying in this crib in the living room and I just go and peek at him....again and again and again. And I'm amazed every time! And I so wish that I could hold him like all the time....(reminds me of Rachel from Friends :D) He's this precious one there lying and sleeping most of the time. And he's so calm. He was very active in the stomach the last month, so Ingvild had to sit up sometimes in the night. But now he's this calm baby that wakes up like every three hours, eats, we change the diaper and he sleeps again. We are really blessed. I am just amazed at life! Because this really is the miracle of life! And do you know what? I want one! I do. And I do pray that one day (soon, I hope) I can have a baby of my own. Because they are so dear and I'm sure that I can't even imagine what it will feel like when I'm going to have my own baby lying in the crib. My feelings are kid of overflowing already now...but it will be like 1000 times better then.
Love you all,
Grete

Everything can change in a minute

Today was great up until 8pm. We had a great morning with Selma and Gabriel and went to visit the baby after lunch. He is soooo cute and just so small. A little miracle. It's just unimaginable that WE can be part in creating sth like this. We mix some cells and there it is, growing, getting bigger, getting arms, legs etc. Becoming a real person. And this baby boy is just amazing. The tinies I've seen. He weighs 3450g and is only 48 cm tall. When I held him, it felt like there's basically nothing in my arms. I just wanted to cuddle him so-so hard. I can't believe I'm going to see this baby boy EVERY day in the next five months. I'll be able to see him grow, develop and learn. It will be just wonderful!
Today was also great because I got this great phone call. I had just come to my room, when my phone rang. Which in this house means that I have to run through the second floor downstairs and out on the porch to answer the call. All that because we have a very poor connection here for the cell phones. So I ran like crazy to get out to be able to answer the call. Lívia was calling. She was just the cutest. "I just called to tell you that I miss you and love you. We're having Kadri's Bday party tonight, so I miss you especially, because no party is the same without you." THANK YOU, dear. I needed to hear that! I love you too!
The hard part of today has been the fact that Selma has thrown up at least 4 times tonight. We tried to feed her in the evening and she really didn't want to, but there are some very important medicines she has to take every evening, so we tried to get hear eating, so she could get the most important medicines. We did it, and also got some enzymes in her (they help her to digest the food). The mormor (Ingvild's mom) got her to bed, but later I saw on the camera that she was not sleeping. So I thought that I'll go into her room and talk to her a little, so she would fall asleep nicely. Just when I got to her room, she threw up. So I put the light on, got her out of the bed and to her bathroom to clean her up. Poor baby! Anyway, cleaned her up, worked on changing the linens and put her back to bed, because it seemed that she was feeling better. She was even smiling there at some point. Did that, and she threw up. Just a little this time, but still. So mormor got her out of the bed and went to the living room to sit with her a little. We tried to give her some medicine that should calm down her stomach, but the only result was that after some minutes she threw up again :S After we had sit up with her for a while, we tried to get her to bed. It looked like she's sleeping, so I went in to adjust the camera, so we could see her eyes properly. She threw up again...just a little bit again this time, fortunately. Anyway, so she sat with the mormor again and I was downstairs some minutes ago. It seems that she is finally sleeping. I really hope so. It just breaks my heart to see the little one suffering. The hardest part is that I cannot do anything for her. I can just pray...but then again, isn't that the greatest thing we can do for someone? Anyway, I am praying for her and asking you to pray for her too. That she could have a calm night and that mommy in the hospital wouldn't worry too much about her.

Blessings to you all,
Grete

The day when baby is coming

We all have been super excited about the fact that today is the day when the baby is coming. It seems a bit funny, but great at the same time. You know, knowing the EXACT date when the baby will be born. It doesn't really happen that often, if I may say :)
Anyway, I got up 7 am today to say bye to Ingvild and Ole, when they left for the hospital. 8am I got a text from Ingvild that the C-section will be around 1 pm instead of 9 am, as it was supposed to be in the beginning. If I understood correctly, Ingvild had forgotten that she wasn't supposed to eat before it. So the whole day has past everyone being super excited and waiting for the news. When the clock turned 1pm, I've been checking my phone for updates like every 10-15 minutes. Nothing. It just feels that I can't take it anymore. I want to see the picture of the new baby and get to know if he finally has a name. Hoping the news will come fast :)
What is it that you are waiting for impatiently? What makes you check your phone/e-mail/FB/mail box etc. all the time?
One of the highlights of a week for me is Sunday morning. The time everyone goes to church - all over the world. It is one thing I'm waiting for most of the time. Yes, there are also times when I might not wait for it too much, but at the moment I feel how church is important. How being in contact with the ones that you share faith with, is vital. Yes, I do think that :)

Hoping to post news about the baby soon!
Love,
Grete

Sunday service

I just loved the service today! It was just so special.
I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but I like to call the Arendal Methodist church a singing congregation. The first time I was there in 2008, everyone asked me if I am a singing kind of a person. They all wanted to invite to the their congregations gospel choir. I had to say no, of course. But yeah, they are a singing congregation. They have the gospel choir, then a senior choir, children's choir and also family choir projects from time to time. They have this amazing composer in the church, Stein Jonassen. And he really is AMAZING - literally!
Anyway, the church is having the topic of "more abundant life" the next five weeks and Stein was asked to compose a song for it. Of course, he did. So we sang it today in the church. We also had children in the beginning of service and so we had tons of songs and learnt a scripture all together from Mt 7:7. When it was time for the children to go downstairs to Sunday school, the congregations sang a song about it too (I actually took pics of the lyrics, because I think it was so cool). The lyrics say that come to the Sunday school, we'll talk about Daddy in the heaven etc. Really cool! Never heard a song like that before :)
The most powerful part for me was the ending of the service today. Stein had decided that we are going to sing during the prelude and postlude today. And the postlude song was just AMAZING! It was his song and it was a prayer for Norway. I just so wish I could add a link of it, but it's not out there. But anyway, it was really great and when I would try to compare it with something, Estonians can compare it with our song "Palve" that is written by Tõnis Mägi.
What am I trying to say here? Today I really felt that sermon is not the only part of the service that matters. Sometimes the other parts of the service can touch us in a way that we cannot explain. So be open, listen to God! He talks through a lot of things :) We just have to notice it!
Hope your Sunday service was a great experience too :)
Grete

Tiny bit of missing my dear friends

So I posted couple of hours ago that I am really tired and won't manage to write anything, but time makes miracles. I spent some time in my room in the silence and watching Bones and ate some tortillas (our traditional Friday night food here - yes, I decided NOT to skip them after all) and I feel better now.
I just feel that I have been working quite a lot this week and I am kinda tired. Maybe the fact that I've been trying to cut off Coke and Pepsi are also influencing me, because I've had slight headaches from time to time. So not me. But now I'll try to tell you a little about what I've been up to and what have I been thinking about lately.
The biggest thing this week was moving into my bedroom. Big part of it was that I had to put together my wardrobe by myself (well, I didn't have to, but I did it anyway). Me and Ingvild (the host mom) went to IKEA on Wednesday, picked out a number of things for the house (like a closet for Selma, bookselves to Ole's office etc.) and had to come home without them, because we thought IKEA was open til 10pm. But they closed 9 instead, so we're probably sending Ole to pick up the things soon.
The baby is coming in less than a week. Yes, the date is September 15th. And it won't change, because Ingvild is having an abdominal delivery (keisrilõikus). It's kinda funny, she's looking into her notebook and there it is - the day she's gonna deliver the baby. But it's so exciting also! I've never lived in the same house with a newborn. I know, all the crying and screaming etc..but I don't care. I was looking at some of the clothes today....he's gonna be so tiny-tiny. Or bitte liten, as Gabriel would say with his funny voice and cute face :)
Tonight I was bathing Selma and got tears in my eyes - because I realized that it is so hard to find close friends in a foreign country. It takes time and patience. I have tons of people in Estonia that I am communicating with, seeing someone of them almost every day, calling them, texting... But I don't have basically anyone here. When I want to share something, I don't have anyone to call. When I want to ask for advice, the same thing. When I want to invite someone over for a nice evening or meet someone at the café, don't really have anyone. It is so hard. And I guess the fact that I have been between two countries the past 3 years hasn't ben helping either. Don't get me wrong - I love travelling and being in Norway, but a girl needs someone to talk to, to share with, to laugh with, a shoulder to cry on... So I was reading my friend Kirsika's blog where she wrote that she is asking for a friend from God - I am doing the same thing. I am asking for a friend from God. In the meanwhile, I know He can see everything I am going through. And I guess it's good in a way - I cannot depend on people, I cannot build my life around them. There is only One who I can build my life on, and that's Jesus! Thank God! But meanwhile, let me know you are there... so I'd know I'm not all alone :)
By the way, I was reading a devotional in NORWEGIAN today. The local Methodist church has a 5 weeks series in the church - Rikere Liv (rikkam elu). And we have a book with that title, where we have devotions for 5 weeks on different topics. This week is about prayer and I read one of the devotions. It was really great! I'll try to keep up the good work :)
Well, gonna finish now. It's getting late here :)
Love you,
Grete

Tired

I was planning on posting a nice post tonight, but I am just so tired.
It's Friday night and I've been working kinda lot this week. The biggest achievement of this week - I moved into my own bedroom yesterday. YAY!
Friday night in this house means tortillas normally...but I feel so tired that I am considering skiping them. I know, it sounds insane! :D
Well, hoping I'll be able to type more tomorrow!
Sleep tight!

Back again!

Yes, I am back in Norway. I don't know why, but God keeps bringing me back to this place. Do I complain? Not really :)
But yeah, it is hard to explain why I just SO want to be here or move here, but I feel at peace here. And I feel how I'm in God's will - and that's the best kind of feeling one can have!
So I have been here for almost a month, been using Norwegian like EVERY day tons...namely, my family decided that my Norwegian is good enough not to use English with me. They told me I am allowed to use English, but they will reply in Norwegian. Again, I am not complaining. It has been great so far...they have had to explain things over only like once a day :) And I've stuck to Norwegian most of the time, because it's so hard to dig into my brain and find the missing words in English :D But I am trying :)
Today, Sep 5th. I had my first Norwegian class over two years. I got to take a test two weeks before, so that teachers would know how to divide the groups. So I tried to write as much as possible, to get to the best group. The result... I am in the best group and my teacher told me that I am probably almost ready to take the Level 3 test in Norwegian (that's the test my group should be ready for in May, when they finish the book we're starting). So yeah....it's kinda funny. I am definitely sticking with my group - at least I get to meet some new people, get out of the house and get a lot of grammar lessons. The teacher is ready to give me additional assignments if I only want to :) But I have to decide if I want to take the Level 3 test in October (they are official tests and it would give me the opportunity to have an official certificate of my knowledge in Norwegian). There would be no hurry, because there will be other opportunities for it. The only problem is that the next opportunity to take the test will be in February, when I'm back in Estonia. So here I am trying to decide whether I should take one or two tests in October :)
I've been great, otherwise. I loved going to church on Sunday. We had a Scripture from Zephaniah 3 and the verse that really stuck out for me, was the following:
The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” (emphasis added by me)
For me, it means that He isn't just glad we are who we are, but he really loves us the way we are.....He takes GREAT delight in me, in you, in all of us! Also, He rejoices over us WITH SINGING! When was the last time you rejoiced over sth with singing? To be honest, I don't remember. OK, maybe I'm just not a signing person, but still. When was the last time you rejoiced over sth with dancing? Jumping up and down? Not being able to get words out of your mouth? God just treasures us all so highly and He loves us soooo much...we are so important to Him! :)
OK, it's getting late, so I'll continue some other day. There's much to tell, but can't do it all the first time :)

Love you,
Grete